Five things to know about Pittsburgh headed into Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
The 89th Annual Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl is slated for noon Dec. 30 at the Sun Bowl. The game, which will be televised by CBS, features 9-3 UCLA from the Pac-12 and 8-4 Pittsburgh from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Here is a look at what to know about the Pittsburgh Panthers, a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Majors makes a difference
50 years ago today on Dec. 19, 1972, Johnny Majors was named Pitt head coach. Over the next few years, he changed the course of Pitt football history.
He Inspired the iconic Pitt script logo, won the 1975 Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl and won an undefeated National championship in 1976.
Kancey is the man
Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was named unanimous All-American by the American Football Coaches Association. The 6-foot, 280-pound junior was one of college football's most dominant players this year regardless of position. He compiled 31 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 11 games.
He spearheaded a Pitt defense that leads the country in sacks (3.75 avg.), ranks seventh nationally against the run (95.5 avg.) and ranks 19th in fewest total yards allowed (319.7 avg.).
Injury will prevent Kancey from playing in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl later this month.
"I am going to do everything I can to help my teammates prepare and get that ninth win," he said.
Kancey is the Panthers' first unanimous All-American since defensive tackle Aaron Donald in 2013. In 133 seasons of intercollegiate football, Pitt players have earned unanimous All-America recognition 15 times. Thirteen total players have achieved this distinction; defensive end Hugh Green (1979-80) and offensive tackle Bill Fralic (1983-84) are the only two-time unanimous selections.
Alexandre a man of character
Pittsburgh senior defensive end Deslin Alexandre has been named a finalist for the 2022 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award presented annually to the Division I college football player who has "demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field."
Alexandre is one of three finalists selected for the honor, joining Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford and Oregon offensive lineman Alex Forsyth. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in Frisco, Texas, on Feb. 23, 2023.
Named after one of the finest tight ends in the history of the sport, the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership, on and off the field.
Pittsburgh a top notch school
In the 2023 QS World University Rankings, among 1,300 universities, the University of Pittsburgh is ranked 42nd in the United States and 181st in the world.
NFL history
There have been 26 former Panthers drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, including running back Craig Heyward, running back Tony Dorsett, tight end Mike Ditka, quarterback Dan Marino and defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
More: What to know about UCLA What to know about 2022 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl teams Pittsburgh and UCLA
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Five things to know about Pittsburgh headed into Sun Bowl
